Last week I wrote about the browser I favor most. I received many emails from folks telling me their thoughts on the matter. Thanks for the emails as I always appreciate hearing from you! There was a repeated theme from those emails regarding my favorite Android browser. This demonstrated to me that you readers know me pretty well since no one mentioned iPhones or iPads.
So, today I will look at some Android browsers I prefer.
The default browser which comes with the Android phones and tablets is pretty good all on its own. So I do not recommend replacing it unless you have enough geek in you to want to play with it. Also, it is interesting to note the most popular windows browsers are all available for Android. There is one notable exception which is the Microsoft browser, Internet Explorer.
If you enjoy Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Safari on your PC my next suggestion would be you should try the same one on your Android device. There are some similarities with the same named browser between the two platforms; however, they are different in some respects.
I think the best feature in matching browser between PC and Android is that you can link them. For instance, if you are using Firefox on your PC and then install it on your tablet you can "sync" them with each other. You can automatically get all of your saved passwords, browsing history and other items. These will be synced between the two so that you have everything available and up-to-date between them. The other browsers mentioned above all have some sort of the comparable syncing capabilities.
Bear in mind that as I stated last week the "best" browser for you matches your comfort level and personal preference. So, in my opinion the best Android browser is the Dolphin browser. Before you go to the Android store let me give you two tips. There are two Dolphin browsers available, one is the HD version and the other is the Mini. They are made for tablets and phones respectively. It has been my experience that the Mini works well on tablets; however, it lacks some of the "extras" you get on the HD version.
One reason I enjoy Dolphin is that it works very well and is pretty easy to use. It also has two neat features called "sonar" and "gestures." With sonar you can speak commands to Dolphin and it will carry out most of them very well. For instance, you can say, "Find the closest pizza shop" and it does a good job, depending on your devices’ settings. It isn’t perfect since I tried, "Who is Robin Doyle" and it gave me a list of "Robert" Doyles.
Gestures are interesting too. If you start them you can draw on your screen and particular actions will occur in the browser. For instance, if you draw a "G" on the screen it will immediately open Google.com. Another is a "Y" for YouTube.com and there are others. If you have questions about how to use or set up your own Gestures, draw a large question mark.
Also, you may want to install the Dolphin "Jet Pack" after you start using the browser. It is said to speed it up and give you more features; although I am comfortable using it with or without this add-on.
Using Dolphin is a slightly new browser experience. I think it is worth trying if you like learning a few new tricks.
Let me know which phone/tablet browsers you prefer.
